5. 'Lord of the Rings' (1978) -- Sequels That Never Happened

The original title of Ralph Bakshi’s animated epic was 'The Lord of the Rings: Part One.' The 'Fritz the Cat' director had negotiated to produce all three of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books into two films. But the studio believed no one would pay to see half of a movie (unless that movie was 'Harry Potter 7'). Consequently, the film ends without a satisfying resolution and there was no sequel. Years later, Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass (makers of the 1977 'Hobbit' movie) delivered a made-for-TV version of 'Return of the King.' Despite its eventual live-action adaption, 'The Two Towers' just couldn't catch a break in animation.